


Little Red Owl Hood (You're Everything a Big Bad Wolf Could Want)

by onlinemuse



Series: Midnight Strikes [1]
Category: Stargirl (TV 2020)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Time Travel, Childhood Friends, F/M, Fluff, Halloween Costumes, Wendi Harris and Rex Tyler Live
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-24
Updated: 2020-10-24
Packaged: 2021-03-09 03:08:46
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,619
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27167044
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/onlinemuse/pseuds/onlinemuse
Summary: “Elizabeth Henrietta Chapel!”She shrieked when she heard her name suddenly being yelled in her ear, blindly swinging her basket at the other person’s face in pure instinct before she tipped over. Sturdy hands grabbed her shoulders and steadied her as she finally saw wavy dark hair and a familiar pair of brown eyes, lightened to a deep gold in the early morning light.“Beth, calm down.” His words slurred before his face scrunched in irritation, finally spitting out his fake wolf fangs. “It’s me!”“Rick?”----Beth's first Halloween in her new life was something that had to be celebrated. Though in hindsight, maybe she should've told her best friend where she was on Halloween morning.
Relationships: Beth Chapel/Rick Tyler
Series: Midnight Strikes [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1983016
Comments: 2
Kudos: 12





	Little Red Owl Hood (You're Everything a Big Bad Wolf Could Want)

**Author's Note:**

  * For [freckledpianoman](https://archiveofourown.org/users/freckledpianoman/gifts).



> This whole AU was the product of [freckledpianoman](https://archiveofourown.org/users/freckledpianoman/pseuds/freckledpianoman) and I talking about how the only way we would accept any sort of Beth death was if Beth ended up traveling back in time to when she was little again. 
> 
> And if she decided to change things a little this time around and bring the JSA back together, she's determined for her and her friends to be happy this time.

People in both of Beth Chapel’s lifetimes were always shocked to find out that her favourite holiday was Halloween. The sunshine girl of Blue Valley loving something dark and spooky? It baffled her parents, but if they had paid a little more attention, maybe they would’ve realized that it had been something she celebrated with her grandmother and great-aunt.

Her childhood may have been a lonely one, but Beatrice and Bernadette Thomas had filled it with spooky movie marathons and creative treats and sweets. Even when grandma Beatie and great-aunt Bernie could no longer travel to Nebraska and could only do video calls, the traditions that Beth had formed had stayed with her for a lifetime.

And her first Halloween in this new life was something that _had_ to be celebrated.

Beth had taken a page from her favourite fairy tale and decided to go as Little Red Riding Hood this year and she was determined to make her costume by herself. She had done so since she was a little girl the first time around, and she wasn’t about to let something like her tiny five-year-old hands stop her from doing it again.

Her parents didn’t even bat an eye when she had left for school early that morning, a heavy basket tucked under her arm. It was a little strange having people stop and talk to her when they usually went out of their way to avoid her in her past memories, but the compliments that she got for her costume made her practically skip down the street.

She wore a yellow suspender skirt with a cream vintage blouse, her matching stockings and brown ankle boots protecting her from the chilly autumn breeze.

And the red hood.

It had taken her almost a month to complete, but the end result was worth it. Vibrant red, hood lined with satin to protect the space buns she had done especially for today, the hem of her cape shaped and stitched to look like owl feathers. She’d even embroidered a pair of owl eyes on the hood to complete the look.

“—Beth? Beth!”

She didn’t register the voice frantically calling out to her, the sound of leather boots rapidly hitting the pavement as they ran towards her.

_“Elizabeth Henrietta Chapel!”_

She shrieked when she heard her name suddenly being yelled in her ear, blindly swinging her basket at the other person’s face in pure instinct before she tipped over. Sturdy hands grabbed her shoulders and steadied her as she finally saw wavy dark hair and a familiar pair of brown eyes, lightened to a deep gold in the early morning light.

“Beth, calm down.” His words slurred before his face scrunched in irritation, finally spitting out his fake wolf fangs. “It’s me!”

“ _Rick?_ ” she squeaked in disbelief.

Beth barely recognized him. His leather gloved hands were tipped with chrome claws, matching the claw marks that slashed over the shoulder of his flannel shirt, his torn jeans tucked into tall combat boots. His hair was messy and wild, falling over his forehead as a pair of dark leather wolf ears stood proudly on top of his head.

But his _face_.

The top half was covered in a perpetually scowling steel grey wolf mask, giving him an intimidating aura that almost mirrored the one an all grown up Rick had as Hourman. Dark grey paint streaked over his cheekbones and his eyes were lined in black and silver, making them glow dangerously. Wendi’s handiwork, she suspected.

“Rick, oh my god,” she gushed, her hands on his shoulders as she went on her tiptoes to get a closer look at him.

_(There were times that she still pouted over the fact that he was a head taller than her even as a first grader.)_

“Your costume looks _so_ _cool!_ ”

“All mom. She wouldn’t let me out of the house until it looked perfect,” he mumbled, but a tiny pleased smile was starting to form. “You look amazing too. Why are you all alone, mom and dad already said they were gonna come pick you up?”

Rick was suddenly really glad that his mom had insisted on painting his face. He wouldn’t have been able to hide his blush otherwise.

_(He remembered how his mom had cooed and fawned over Beth’s baby pictures when his best friend showed them to her for the first time. Mom always teased him over how he’d look like a scraggly newborn kitten, feathery wisps of dark hair covering the top of his head and a grumpy scowl on his red face the second he had been placed in her arms._

_But Beth?_

_Beth had a shock of dense fluffy curls and satiny brown skin; starry, smiling eyes with the roundest, chubbiest cheeks he had ever seen. She was always beaming and laughing in every other photo, a ray of sunshine to his glowering thunder._

_How was that even fair?)_

She still had the same adorable apple cheeks and big brown eyes even as a five-year-old and her red hooded cape only brought out how bouncy and cheerful she was. It made him determined to stick close to her. There were a lot of weirdos around town on Halloween and he wasn’t about to let her be snatched up by one of them. 

“Uh…”

She looked like a deer caught in headlights. _No wonder mom didn’t blink an eye._

“ _Oops?_ ”

“ _Beth_ ,” he groaned, forgetting himself as he raked a hand through his hair, almost knocking his wolf ears askew.

“You _can’t_ keep doing things by yourself like this, your mom thought you were already with us. Dad almost had a heart attack when we couldn’t find you at first.”

_(He was starting to see why his parents had been determined to bring her home with them. He still remembered the look on his dad’s face the day that father and son had met her, a tiny girl huffing and puffing as she carried a lunch bag almost half her size, making her way through the hospital all by herself.)_

“I know, I know.”

Beth practically wilted as she shuffled in her boots. She still wasn’t used to this, having adults worry over her again. It just felt _weird_ , especially when her mental age didn’t match her tiny kid self.

“I’m sorry.”

“Hey, don’t make that face.” He lightly chucked her under her chin, making her giggle. “Just rely on us a little more. We’re all here for you. By the way,” he paused, eying the basket under her arm warily.

“What’s in the basket? You didn’t put your mystery books in there, did you? Those things weigh a ton.”

“They’re not _that_ heavy. And I brought Halloween treats for everyone!” Rick had to shield his eyes with how her face had lit up before she eagerly showed him the contents of her basket.

“Tres leches witch hat cupcakes for Yolanda, matcha monster brownies for Artemis, pumpkin cheesecake mummy truffles for Henry—there’s a couple of smore ghost macaroons for Cameron and Isaac and I brought my grandma’s spicy hot chocolate for everyone too.

And I _may_ have brought something extra for Cindy because she’s scary. She might cut me with a plastic knife if I leave her out,” she giggled sheepishly.

It still baffled Beth that Cindy actually tolerated her this time around, even when she accidentally said that she dressed like an evil PTA mom within earshot.

“I’m surprised you have room for your lunch in there. _Sooo_ …” Rick drawled, his eyes flickering back up to hers. “You just brought everyone else’s favourite things?”

Beth didn’t have to look at him to know he was sulking and nearly cooed. He was just so _cute_ at this age.

“I didn’t forget about you, silly.” She nudged his shoulder playfully. “I was gonna surprise you later, but I _did_ make your favourite cookies.”

She giggled at the shocked look on his face. “And yes, I stuffed them with strawberry jam. Like I was gonna forget about my best friend— _ack, Rick!_ ”

Beth almost shrieked when he picked her up and twirled her around, hiding his smile in her shoulder. A shrill honk startled them apart and she spotted the Tylers’ van at the end of the street. She didn’t have to look to know that Rex was grinning mischievously at them from the driver’s seat.

“C’mon.” Rick’s eyes softened as he took her basket from her, slinging an arm around her shoulder as he guided her down the street. “Mom and I made strawberry syrniki. There’s still some in the back seat if you’re hungry.”

“Yes, please. Wait—” she shot him a confused look as they walked side by side. “How’d you know I was gonna be Little Red Riding Hood? I was keeping it a surprise for everyone.”

“Lucky guess,” he mumbled, looking away.

He refused to admit that he had overheard Beth talking with his mom in the art room after school, looking fondly at his best friend from the doorway as she bounced on her feet and talked about her Halloween plans.

“Well, lucky or not, I’m glad you turned out to be a big bad wolf.”

She wrapped an arm around his waist, snuggling closer to him as they headed towards the Tylers’ van. The autumn morning didn’t feel as cold when she was with him.

“Now we match!”

And if Wendi noticed her son’s goofy smile as she checked on her kids in the rear-view mirror, Rick intently listening to Beth as she chattered about their class’ Halloween party, splitting a bat shaped cookie with him as they sat side by side in the back seat?

She’d keep that to herself.

For now, at least.


End file.
